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Topic: [Guide] How to Enable 2FA using Google Authenticator or Any Authenticator! (Read 689 times)

sr. member
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Your topic does not have a guide for 2FA deactivation and re-enable it with new 2FA activation code.

If your device is no longer usable and you did not back up 2FA, you only can open a support ticket and wait for exchange support. They will ask you to provide documents to verify your identity that is time wasting and not comfortable.

if you want a more complete topic, you can add it here, and the OP can add it if it's relevant. very simple I think.
every time you enable 2FA, the website will automatically give a warning to copy the backup code to help us in case of problems in the future.
actually if beginners follow the exemplary procedure there will be no too complicated mistakes.
full member
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It is at the bottom which it is mentioned and I quoted the post and added at the bottom and an explanation. I think that you missed that one. I already included that one before you made a post about Authenticator.
Better than don't have that reminder at all but I don't think it is good enough.

The reminder should be one step before a step to Copy the address to activate 2FA on the application.

Reasons are because if you don't do it before the activation step, how do you have that code for backup?

If you don't make backup first, later you will have no code to backup. If you want to backup, you have to Disable 2FA and Enable it again to get a new Address code for your new activation time.

Your topic does not have a guide for 2FA deactivation and re-enable it with new 2FA activation code.

If your device is no longer usable and you did not back up 2FA, you only can open a support ticket and wait for exchange support. They will ask you to provide documents to verify your identity that is time wasting and not comfortable.

 Always backup a code you use to activate your 2FA.
You need it to recover your 2FA later or to import it on other devices.
Always backup in cryptocurrency.  
hero member
Activity: 2268
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This thread is all about how to enable 2FA and not the Authenticator itself that's why I edited the title. I understand your point but you missed the goal of this thread and how old this thread is.
Edit more please.

You only wrote about Copy and paste the Address code to activate 2FA.
You did not write about Copy and Paste the Address code to somewhere as your 2FA backup. Backup is needed for 2FA recovery later or to import it into a new device.

Forget about backup is very bad in cryptocurrency, for your wallet and for your 2FA.
It is at the bottom which it is mentioned and I quoted the post and added at the bottom and an explanation. I think that you missed that one. I already included that one before you made a post about Authenticator.
full member
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This thread is all about how to enable 2FA and not the Authenticator itself that's why I edited the title. I understand your point but you missed the goal of this thread and how old this thread is.
Edit more please.

You only wrote about Copy and paste the Address code to activate 2FA.
You did not write about Copy and Paste the Address code to somewhere as your 2FA backup. Backup is needed for 2FA recovery later or to import it into a new device.

Forget about backup is very bad in cryptocurrency, for your wallet and for your 2FA.
hero member
Activity: 2268
Merit: 669
Bitcoin Casino Est. 2013
This thread is all about how to enable 2FA and not the Authenticator itself that's why I edited the title. I understand your point but you missed the goal of this thread and how old this thread is.
full member
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hero member
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Bitcoin Casino Est. 2013
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hero member
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Being 2FA a great enhancement in security, one needs to consider the security features related to the 2FA itself. Google Authenticator is typically installed on your phone or table, and the account is tied to a single device.  If you lose the device or it is damaged, you had better have your backup codes handy, otherwise you are going to be in deep trouble to access the accounts you’ve tied the 2FA to, and will need to be stressed-out contacting customer support of exchanges and so on. Switching devices is also non-trivial.

Authy on the other hand is multi-device (even desktops/laptops), it has an encrypted backup on the cloud that you can restore from onto another device, and has an easy process to allow you to move your 2FA access from one phone to another should you change phone. All in all, I find Authy to be safer from the user’s perspective, although one could argue that you may not want an encrypted backup on the cloud.
You're right,  I also had authy in my mobile device. I installed two 2FA authenticator which is Authy and google auth, the google auth is very easy to use and simple but the problem is that you cannot back up the secret key using the app unless you wrote the secret key in a piece of paper. Authy is good and when you lost/stolen your phone and someone try to access the authy and there is a pin before you can unlock and use the authy.
legendary
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Being 2FA a great enhancement in security, one needs to consider the security features related to the 2FA itself. Google Authenticator is typically installed on your phone or table, and the account is tied to a single device.  If you lose the device or it is damaged, you had better have your backup codes handy, otherwise you are going to be in deep trouble to access the accounts you’ve tied the 2FA to, and will need to be stressed-out contacting customer support of exchanges and so on. Switching devices is also non-trivial.

Authy on the other hand is multi-device (even desktops/laptops), it has an encrypted backup on the cloud that you can restore from onto another device, and has an easy process to allow you to move your 2FA access from one phone to another should you change phone. All in all, I find Authy to be safer from the user’s perspective, although one could argue that you may not want an encrypted backup on the cloud.
member
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Nice guide OP but imo I think Authy is a far much better alternative to the once popular Google Authenticator because
  • Authy automatically backups 2FA data which google can not
  • Authy has several ways of getting back onto your account unlike limited ways of Google 2fa
  • Lastly the interface is user friendly too Smiley
hero member
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I don’t know how anyone, but I don’t like Google Authenticator, problems with it alone, the code is not correct that time, and I came across a similar program but many times better is Authy, everything can be done easily and backups easily Wink
I know that but it doesn't mean that it is best to use google authenticator, there are other people that also use google authenticator and this thread is to show on how to enable 2FA. One thing I can tell is it depends on you what authenticator you would use.
copper member
Activity: 331
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I don’t know how anyone, but I don’t like Google Authenticator, problems with it alone, the code is not correct that time, and I came across a similar program but many times better is Authy, everything can be done easily and backups easily Wink
legendary
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I just want to add about my experience with 2FA Authenticator which gives me a problem (well because this was new to me), I wanst able to log in however I try to encode my code and discovered that the time settings in my phone is different from the net. i just changed my time settings to set automatically and viola! its good. Just sharing, maybe some can meet this problem.
This is also happening to me before I always tried to use the generated code from 2fa but it doesn't work and I notice that my laptop time is not the same as my local time so I just edit and update the time and after that, I sync it from google authenticator and it works again.

So I advise to other users who experience the same thing you should always check your time if it's updated or not.
full member
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I just want to add about my experience with 2FA Authenticator which gives me a problem (well because this was new to me), I wanst able to log in however I try to encode my code and discovered that the time settings in my phone is different from the net. i just changed my time settings to set automatically and viola! its good. Just sharing, maybe some can meet this problem.
hero member
Activity: 2268
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Bitcoin Casino Est. 2013
But 2FA job is to secure you account against malware, it doesn't protect from hacks etc. contrary to what many people believe.
Yes, it is. Let's just say that it's not a perfect security but it also help.
hero member
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But 2FA job is to secure you account against malware, it doesn't protect from hacks etc. contrary to what many people believe.
hero member
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Consider this scenario:
1. Your computer is infected with malware.
2. You set-up account on exchange and enable 2FA.
3. You fund your account on exchange from another device/ hardware wallet - you think you're safe, you're using hardware wallet and exchange account is secured by 2FA
4. After few days you find out that someone stole your coins from exchange - how this could happen???

Well, the answer is simple, points 1&2 - you received 2FA secret key on infected PC, so 2FA won't stop robbers.
It won't happen unless you know how to keep your computer safe (at least) from malwares. If that someone trying to steal your coins from your exchange account should at least need the exchange account (Username and Password) and the private key of course for 2fa. Changing the password after enabling 2FA is important as the saying goes "PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE".
hero member
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Please correct me if I'm wrong:

  • There is no 2FA option for Bitcointalk.
  • Google authenticator 2FA (I think it's called time based 2FA?) is flawed as it assumes your computer is clean at the time of 2FA activation, if there is some kind of malware on your computer it could simply steal your 2FA key (secret key)

You should never use the same machine to log in and store 2FA keys. This is the whole point - your 2FA key is in one place, and your login/password in a completely different place. If your PC will be breached and login information was stolen - your account is still safe, and if you lose your device - auth codes are useless because nobody knows login/password or even what they suppose to open.

Even though you should not use the same device to get OTP and log in it is relatively safe to neglect this rule on mobile, since mobile environments often use means to isolate mobile apps from each other (Android phones are slightly more vulnerable compared to iOS but still mostly safe to use).

Stay safe!

Consider this scenario:
1. Your computer is infected with malware.
2. You set-up account on exchange and enable 2FA.
3. You fund your account on exchange from another device/ hardware wallet - you think you're safe, you're using hardware wallet and exchange account is secured by 2FA
4. After few days you find out that someone stole your coins from exchange - how this could happen???

Well, the answer is simple, points 1&2 - you received 2FA secret key on infected PC, so 2FA won't stop robbers.
hero member
Activity: 2268
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Bitcoin Casino Est. 2013
This is simplified enough , any newbie that have further questions can ask ,I'm sure many people are here to respond approximately.

It should also be noted that the 16Digits code should be kept safely

I know you're trying to help but it is noted already, I guess you didn't read all of it. Secret key/address key is the 16digit code what you want to be noted. BitMaxz already mention it .

Don't forget to backup secret key because it's very important when you lose your device. Make sure it's well written on the piece of paper or make a backup copy in your USB device or PC.
member
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This is simplified enough , any newbie that have further questions can ask ,I'm sure many people are here to respond approximately.

It should also be noted that the 16Digits code should be kept safely
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